> Kids' Next Recommendations
> Caldecott Medal
> Coretta Scott King Award
> Nat'l Book Award for Young People
> Newbery Medal
> NY Times Best Illustrated 2009

THE HEART & THE BOTTLE
There is a wonder and magic to childhood. We donat realize it at the time, of course . . . yet the adults in our lives do. They encourage us to see things in the stars, to find joy in colors and laughter as we play.

But what happens when that special someone who encourages such wonder and magic is no longer around? We can hide, we can place our heart in a bottle and grow up . . . or we can find another special someone who understands the magic. And we can encourage them to see things in the stars, find joy among colors and laughter as they play.

Oliver Jeffers delivers a remarkable book, a tale of poignancy and resonance reminiscent of The Giving Tree that will speak to the hearts of children and parents alike.

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER
What do you do when your world is raining cats and dogs, you're up to your neck in alligators, and all you want to do is bury your head in the sand?

When children read this empowering book of animal idioms illustrated in gorgeous, vibrant watercolors, they learn new ways to express themselves.

This playful book teaches the complexities of language -- and that's straight from the horse's mouth!

SO MANY DAYS
You are stronger than you know.
You are wilder than you know.
You are braver than you know.
And you are capable of more than you could ever imagine.

Life is full of surprises, big and small, both along the roads we take and where these winding paths eventually lead us. "So Many Days" will remind you to notice all the joy and love along the way, because it's all there, helping to bring out the strongest, wildest, bravest YOU.

MAMA MITI: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya
One woman.

One seed.

One hope for the future.

"Thayu nyumba" -- Peace, my people.

Wangari grew up in the shadow of Mount Kenya listening to the stories about the people and land around her. Though the trees towered over her, she had loved them for as long as she could remember. So strong, so beautiful, how the trees made her smile.

Wangari planted trees one by one to refresh her spirit. When the women came to her for help with their families, she told them to do the same. Soon the countryside was filled with trees. Kenya was strong once more. Wangari had changed her country, tree by tree.

Donna Jo Napoli tells a story inspired by the life of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai that will touch the hearts and spirits of all who read it. Kadir Nelson's stunning collage illustrations honor the spirit of a land and of the woman who saved it.

MY GARDEN
Illustrated with heavenly full-color paintings that are among the artist's very best, this picture book for young children pays tribute to a child's imagination and independence and features an inquisitive and humorous text, making it an ideal read-aloud to treasure.

MISS BROOKS LOVES BOOKS!
Bottner and Emberley pay playful homage to the diverse tastes of child readers and the valiant librarians who are determined to put just the right book in each child's hands. Full color.

WEIRD BUT TRUE: 300 OUTRAGEOUS FACTS
At last, all those weird but true facts that readers of "National Geographic Kids" love so much are collected into a fun-filled book that you'll come back to again and again

"Weird But True" is based on the hugely popular magazine page of quirky, fun facts that many readers of "National Geographic Kids" magazine turn to first. Why? Well did "you" know that... Peanut butter can be converted into a diamond? The world's oldest pet goldfish lived to be 43 years old? The world's longest soap bubble was as long as four school buses? On Neptune, the wind blows up to 1,243 miles an hour? An elephant's tooth can weigh as much as a bowling ball?

All of the facts in this handy book will amaze friends and family: Animals Superpowers...Chills and Thrills...Eat or Be Eaten...Mini and Mega...Wild and Crazy, and much, much more.

Adjacent pages for such facts present a one-paragraph explanation of how that fact is possible or why it is so. Wacky facts, fascinating information, and lively art combine in this easy-to-browse, casual reference book that is sure to give young readers hours of fun.

FINALLY
The author of "11 Birthdays" delivers once again with this humorous, touching, and abundantly charming novel about a girl who has been waiting her whole life to turn 12.

A WHOLE NOTHER STORY
For kids who love A Series of Unfortunate Events and Mysterious Societies comes the three Cheeseman children, their father, and their psychic dog. All are on the run. From whom? Well the CIA, naturally. But also corporate agents #5, #29, and # 207, plus two international superspies -- one of whom happens to be a chimpanzee. They all want Dr. Cheeseman and his late wife's greatest invention-a machine with unspeakable powers-OK, I'll say it. It's a time machine. But it's not working right yet, so put all ideas of time travel out of your head. Instead, please enjoy this high stakes, high action, hijinx-filled chase, and the bizarre characters our Cheeseman friends will meet as they protect not just their parents' invention, but their mother's sacred memory. It's an adventure novel like no other. Oh yeah, and did we mention the entertaining, plot-exposition filled, unsolicited advice you'll receive along the way? So you didn't ask for it? Yeah, that's why it's unsolicited. Unsolicited Advice #1: Read this book.

HEX HALL
Sophie Mercer is a witch. When Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her warlock dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

THE HEART IS NOT A SIZE
Th"TWO WEEKS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE," promises a flyer at the local grocery store. Change is just what studious Georgia--whose piled-on academic and family responsibilities have resulted in secret panic attacks--needs.

She recruits petite, artistic Riley, her best friend since kindergarten, and along with nearly a dozen high school students from their Philadelphia suburb, they travel to the border town of Juarez, Mexico, to help its residents.

While it takes the combined efforts of their team to transform the village, she discovers that one person can make a difference when it comes to friendship. Inspired by a trip the author took with family and church members to Anapra, The Heart Is Not a Size will encourage teens to open their hearts (no matter the size) in their relationships and give back to the Earth and its residents.